Meal Pattern Minute: Seconds at At-Risk Afterschool Sites

When operating an afterschool program, Child and Adult Care Food Program a meal and/or snack may be served. As children and teenagers receive this meal or snack, what happens if you have extra food leftover? Certainly, you can offer any leftover meals or snacks during the designated meal times but can you also claim those second meals served? 

Find out in this Meal Pattern Minute as Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, dives into whether second meals can be reimbursable in the CACFP. 

If you serve afterschool meals or snacks, check out the National CACFP Association’s website, Afterschool Meals. Here we provide access to resources from USDA, No Kid Hungry, and NCA materials to help you operator CACFP in the afterschool setting.  

Need a reference to the answer from this Meal Pattern Minute? Go to the Financial Management- Child and Adult Care Food Program (Number 796-2 Rev. 4).  You’ll find the answer in Exhibit B on page four under Allowable Vended Meals/Food Costs. 

• 226.20(j)) states “in recognition of the fluctuation in participation levels which makes it difficult to estimate precisely the number of meals needed and to reduce the resultant waste, any excess meals that are ordered may be served to participants and may be claimed for reimbursement, unless the State agency determines that the institution has failed to plan and prepare or order meals with the objective of providing only one meal per participant at each meal service.”

Review this information with your State agency or sponsoring organization to understand the steps you need to take for claiming second meals. 

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